# Police officer applications will decline for a long time. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 30, 2020, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-officer-applications-will-decline-for-a-long-time/854716 "2020-05-30T04:26:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![sps49sd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@sps49sd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sps49sd)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2020, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-officer-applications-will-decline-for-a-long-time/854716/21 "2020-05-31T01:06:11Z")
> [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](#): > > Who is going to want to be a police officer? > > These are their tasks: > > [33-3051.00 - Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/33-3051.01#ToolsUsed) > > There is a American policing problem. The question is how does it get solved? What answer do you have, tovarish? ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2020, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-officer-applications-will-decline-for-a-long-time/854716/22 "2020-05-31T01:43:05Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > In my area: > > Probationary Cst. (1st year) $70,158 > 4th Class Cst. (2nd year) $75,169 > 3rd Class Cst. (3rd year) $80,180 > 2nd Class Cst. (4th year) $90,203 > 1st Class Cst. (5th year) $100,226 > > Qualifications are high school graduate and valid driver’s license. You don’t even need a clean driving record. > > Not bad at all. Thanks for the info. What’s your area? If it’s Farmersville, Nebraska those figures are a lot of money. But if your area is San Francisco or Manhattan it’s not. Context. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2020, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-officer-applications-will-decline-for-a-long-time/854716/23 "2020-05-31T03:57:44Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > Thanks for the info. What’s your area? If it’s Farmersville, Nebraska those figures are a lot of money. But if your area is San Francisco or Manhattan it’s not. Context. Those would be outstanding salaries in NYC for someone with only a HS degree. NYPD requires 60 college credits or 2 years active duty military. [NYPD Salary and Benefits](https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/careers/police-officers/po-benefits.page) > [@](#): > > Salary > > - Starting salary: $42,500 > - Salary after 5 ½ years: $85,292. > - Including holiday pay, longevity pay, uniform allowance, night differential and overtime, police officers may potentially earn over $100,000 per year. > > Additional Benefits > > - 27 Paid vacation days after 5 years of service > - Unlimited sick leave with full pay > - Selection of medical benefit packages > - Prescription, dental, and vision coverage > - Annuity fund > - Deferred Compensation Plan, 401K and I.R.A. > - Optional retirement at one half salary after 22 years of service > - Annual $12,000 Variable Supplement Fund (upon retirement) > - Excellent promotional opportunities [San Francisco](https://www.sanfranciscopolice.org/your-sfpd/careers/sworn-job-openings/salary-and-benefits) does a bit better > [@](#): > > Salary $89,856 - $135,096/year > > A Police Officer works 40 hours per week on different shifts and overtime may be required. San Francisco offers excellent benefits and the current starting salary is $89,856 per year. After seven years of service a Police Officer may earn up to $135,096 per year. You will receive comprehensive training, at your full starting salary. SFPD only requires HS diploma or equivalent. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2020, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-officer-applications-will-decline-for-a-long-time/854716/24 "2020-05-31T08:56:20Z")
> [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](#): > > How the hell am I an idiot for bringing up important discussions? How the hell you’re an idiot is that you apparently can’t tell the difference between your substance-free OP and “bringing up [an] important discussion.” ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2020, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-officer-applications-will-decline-for-a-long-time/854716/25 "2020-05-31T10:49:45Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Cops in my neck of the woods get paid pretty well, and have really good retirement plans. As long as that neck doesn’t get weighted down. ---
**Author:** ![sps49sd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@sps49sd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sps49sd)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2020, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-officer-applications-will-decline-for-a-long-time/854716/26 "2020-06-01T05:28:28Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > Those would be outstanding salaries in NYC for someone with only a HS degree. NYPD requires 60 college credits or 2 years active duty military. > > [NYPD Salary and Benefits](https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/careers/police-officers/po-benefits.page) > [San Francisco](https://www.sanfranciscopolice.org/your-sfpd/careers/sworn-job-openings/salary-and-benefits) does a bit better > SFPD only requires HS diploma or equivalent. Most of the bigger PDs in the Bay Area are decent hourly, but make bank with 12 hr days (OT) and selling back vacation. One Richmond detective in my family made around a quarter million his last several years. And SFPD, at least (with SFFD), gets very generous and early retirement packages. And they all are trying to fill vacancies. We don’t appear to get better LEOs than other places, though. ETA: dammit, I shouldn’t’ve bumped this thread. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2020, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-officer-applications-will-decline-for-a-long-time/854716/27 "2020-06-01T18:47:18Z")
But, since it already was raised, I’ll reply, too. I get a chance to explain in case the OP actually just is this dumb. Your OP is not a “question.” It is rhetorical. It is you claiming that the job of being a cop is too hard, and saying this is a reason for the “policing problem in America.” You argue this is something new, and that it will result in fewer cop applicants, thus making the problem worse. That’s a stupid premise. First off, the job description you cited is not bigger than most other jobs of far lesser importance. Second, they’re the responsibility of law enforcement in many other countries. Third, as stated, they are not poorly paid for this. And, fourth, despite your implication, these aren’t new requirements, and they haven’t reduced the number of cops yet. And, finally, the number of cops isn’t really the problem–we could have fewer, better cops and things would be better. In short, even if this is somehow a sincere question–and that you aren’t just making an excuses to defend the racist murdering cops and the system that protects them–it’s still not some important discussion. I do thank you, however, for putting it in the Pit where I can spell this all out. That way no one can argue it’s just about not liking you as a person, like they do with a certain other poster who pulls this shit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-officer-applications-will-decline-for-a-long-time/854716.md?page=1)